Lowry was elected governor in 1992 and served for a single term. His principal policy initiative was enactment of a statewide system of health insurance with premiums based on ability to pay. He chose not to run for re-election to a second term due to a sexual harassment scandal in which his deputy press secretary, Susanne Albright, accused him of making inappropriate remarks and fondling her.[1] He was an unsuccessful candidate for Commissioner of Public Lands in 2000. More recently, Lowry has been active in building affordable housing for Washington's migrant farm workers.

During his career, Mike Lowry was repeatedly compared to Yasser Arafat by both media and political opponents in the state of Washington, due to a perceived similarity in physical appearance between the two. According to some reports, Lowry shaved off a beard he formerly sported specifically to avoid comparisons to the Palestinian leader.[2][3][4][5]